2008 might've been my first proper taste of metal, with the acquisition of albums from the likes of Metallica, Megadeth, Black Sabbath and that most grandiose of gateway bands, DragonForce. 2009 might've seen me expanding my palette, with Iron Maiden, Alice In Chains, Avenged Sevenfold, and more entering my world, and Guns N' Roses triumphantly re-entering it. But 2010 was when I delved into more 'intense' stuff with Machine Head, In Flames, and most notably of all, Sylosis, and saw my relationship with metal shift from ever-increasing interest into full-blown love affair. To commemorate this 5-year anniversary, and because I love making lists, I decided to do a retrospective of the best albums and songs that have been released during this time period, and give brief tributes to them. Yay music!

1.Sylosis - Edge Of The Earth

2.Sylosis - Monolith

3.Protest The Hero - Volition

4.Orphaned Land - The Never Ending Way Of ORwarriOR

5.Be'lakor - Of Breath And Bone

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1.Mercenary - Through Our Darkest Days

2.Orphaned Land - All Is One

3.Royal Hunt - A Life To Die For

4.Katatonia - Viva Emptiness: Anti-Utopian MMXIII Edition

5.Delta - The End Of Philosophy

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The following is a list of favorites that will steal your mind from this mortal realm; albums that will take you on an indelible journey.

1.Abyssal - Novit Enim Dominus Qui Sunt Eius

2.Agalloch - The Mantle

3.Ahab - The Call Of The Wretched Sea

4.Alcest - Écailles De Lune

5.Arkona - Гой, Роде, Гой!

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Hello and welcome to my first ever top albums list. While I've been listening to metal for over 15 years I've never compiled an actual year end list. The reason for this is because I feel my current favorites to be ever changing dependent on mood, season and situational. But the reason I feel it's necessary is because I want to spread the joy of music. I see many people jaded on music, well if this list is any indication music is alive and doing some amazing things. I've encountered so many lists this year and honestly can't say there's anything close to my list. Whole brilliant albums left off of list after list, but it is all opinion. Other albums held up in high regard that just made me shake my head or perplex me. Even reading many lists gets annoying do to slideshows or advertisement overload or no explanations, I've made this as easy to browse as I could. This is a celebration of the music of 2013. Doing this list was fun yet stressful for me. To me a list isn't a versus or better than. It's just a personal list, still I want to make the numbers carry weight and importance.
Enjoy, comment below and spread the word

1.In Vain - Ænigma

2.Soilwork - The Living Infinite

3.Amorphis - Circle

4.Obscure Sphinx - Void Mother

5.Haken - The Mountain

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1.Leprous - Coal

2.Avatarium - Avatarium

3.Orphaned Land - All Is One

4.Shade Empire - Omega Arcane

5.Ulver - Messe I.X-VI.X

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Absolutely amazing year! The fact that a Dream Theater fanboy such as myself can't put their self titled release on the list either shows what a great year it was or how dissapointed I was with that album.

1.Ayreon - The Theory Of Everything

2.Tribulation - The Formulas Of Death

3.Frosttide - Awakening

4.Ghost - Infestissumam

5.In Vain - Ænigma

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1.Haken - The Mountain

2.The Ocean - Pelagial

3.New Keepers Of The Water Towers - The Cosmic Child

4.Persefone - Spiritual Migration

5.Leprous - Coal

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1.TesseracT - Altered State

2.Dark Tranquillity - Construct

3.Amorphis - Circle

4.Neurotech - The Decipher Volumes

5.Bring Me The Horizon - Sempiternal

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1.In Vain - Ænigma

2.Ayreon - The Theory Of Everything

3.Witherscape - The Inheritance

4.Amon Amarth - Deceiver Of The Gods

5.Officium Triste - Mors Viri

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1.Haken - The Mountain

2.The Ocean - Pelagial

3.Witherscape - The Inheritance

4.Obscure Sphinx - Void Mother

5.Persefone - Spiritual Migration

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Albums for me to listen to and potentially add to my music library. Since I always tend to lose my "To Listen" lists, I'll just put it here. I will take any recommendations.

❤ - Loved it!
✔ - It was good!
✘ - Meh...
♪ - Pending/Haven't listened-to yet.

1.Satyricon - Satyricon

2.The Ruins Of Beverast - Blood Vaults (The Blazing Gospel Of Heinrich Kramer)

3.Ulcerate - Vermis

4.Rage - LMO

5.Stratovarius - Nemesis

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All Studio releases including Full lengths, EPs, Collaborations and Splits.

Support the artist.

Lascaille's Shroud | Youtube

TOP ALBUM ARTWORKS OF 2013

1.Intronaut - Habitual Levitations (Instilling Words With Tones)

2.Gris - À L'Âme Enflammée, L'Äme Constellée...

3.Shade Empire - Omega Arcane

4.Obliteration - Black Death Horizon

5.Dream Death - Somnium Excessum

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1.Haken - The Mountain

2.The Ocean - Pelagial

3.Steven Wilson - The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories)

4.Deafheaven - Sunbather

5.Leprous - Coal

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Music with a spacey touch...
Recommendations are welcome (only one album per band)

1.Aeons Confer - Symphonies Of Saturnus

2.Alrakis - Alpha Eri

3.Amestigon - Sun Of All Suns

4.Arcturus - Sideshow Symphonies

5.Astral Silence - Astral Journey

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My choices of albums with strong forms of atmospheric sound in metal. Recommendations are welcome, though I won't add all as this will be towards personal taste.

1.A Forest Of Stars - A Shadowplay For Yesterdays

2.Agalloch - Ashes Against The Grain

3.Ahab - The Call Of The Wretched Sea

4.Akelei - De Zwaarte Van Het Doorstane

5.Alcest - Souvenirs D'un Autre Monde

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